The present invention relates generally to coin-operated devices and, in particular, to a coin escrow and coin changer apparatus for use in a coin-operated device.
In many coin-operated devices, a coin escrow/coin changer unit is provided to temporarily store coins and then to discharge coins to a customer. In conventional coin-operated devices, cylindrical coin stalls are provided for receiving and storing coins to be dispensed later. Such coin escrow/changer units are susceptible to jamming, wherein the unit is then unavailable to continue receiving and dispensing coins.
In another known prior art device, a revolving carousel is provided having a number of vertical coin stalls. In this arrangement, the coins are arranged in a ring, with adjacent coins facing one another. In order to load coins into the individual coin stalls, the carousel is rotated to present an empty stall to a coin admission gate through which a coin is moved into a coin stall. In order to discharge a coin from the carousel, the carousel is rotated until the coin to be discharged is positioned at a coin discharge gate to allow the coin to be discharged. Unfortunately, such a carousel arrangement disadvantageously requires that the entire carousel, including all of the coins contained in the carousel already, be rotated to admit an additional coin or to discharge a coin. This tends to require a powerful drive motor and tends to consume relatively large amounts of power. Indeed, in some applications, the power required to drive such a carousel is simply not available. For example, in coin-operated pay telephones, the power to operate the coin changer apparatus is delivered over the phone line itself in many instances, typically over great length and with many power loads inbetween. As a result, it often occurs that there is very little power left to drive such a carousel in a coin-operated pay telephone.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need yet remains in the art for a coin escrow and coin changer apparatus which can be used in a coin-operated device and which has low power requirements. It is to the provision of such a coin escrow and coin changer apparatus that the present invention is primarily directed.
Briefly described, in a preferred from the present invention comprises a coin escrow and coin changer apparatus for use in a coin-operated device. The coin escrow and coin changer apparatus includes a frame with a descending coin guide slot along which coins can descend by gravity. The apparatus also includes a plurality of coin stalls that are arranged along the descending coin guide slot for temporarily storing coins. The coin stalls have gates that operate to admit a coin without requiring that any coins already in any other stall be moved. The apparatus further includes a coin select mechanism for selecting the stall to be emptied and a coin release mechanism for permitting the selected stall to be emptied, which cooperate to discharge a coin from one of the coin stalls without requiring that any coins in the other stalls be moved.
Preferably, the gates are pivotally mounted for moving between an open position for admitting a coin into one of the stalls and a closed position for denying admission of a coin. In the closed position, a coin in the descending coin guide slot encounters a control arm of the closed gate and descends past it to the next gate. Preferably, the movement of a coin into a coin stall engages a paddle of the gate that operates by the coin""s own weight to close the gate. Thus, the apparatus allows coins to be moved into the coin stalls without requiring that the coin stalls be rotated or without requiring that existing coins already in the coin stalls be moved in order to accommodate a new coin being admitted.
Preferably, the coin select mechanism includes a plurality of lower movable arms associated with the plurality of coin stalls, and a coin select member that engages the arms for selectively unlocking a desired one of the lower movable arms so that a particular coin can be discharged from its coin stall. Preferably, the lower movable arms are assisted toward the open position by the weight of the coins themselves. Preferably, the release mechanism includes a plurality of pins that engage the arms to hold them in a locked position. The release mechanism can be configured to lock and unlock one movable arm at a time or it can be configured to lock and unlock all of the arms at one time. In this way, coins can be discharged from the apparatus one at a time or all at once.
Advantageously, the present invention allows coins to be admitted into the coin stalls using the coin""s own kinetic and potential energy. Also advantageously, the apparatus allows coins to be discharged from the coin stalls with very low power requirements, particularly in comparison to known prior art arrangements.